Denny's Adventures with the BPRD
by FiresideChild
Summary: Our young hero/geek Denny, is the newest BPRD agent in Jersey. And he's making friends fast! Holy god, its become a serious story! WITH A PLOT! Rated M for language, adult situations, and stupidity.
1. Operatic Operatives

HEY AGAIN! Two in oen day, WHOA! it's a f**kin FIRST! I'm on FIRE!  
Liz: *cough*  
Heh heh sorry.  
Disclaimer- I OWN NOTHING! Cept denny and chomp and cheena and nibbles and fluffikins and tati. Other than that. I got nothin'.

* * *

Operatic Operatives

* * *

"There's no way the kid can do it," Red drawled. He sat back as Liz bounced the twins, Dan and Ro, on her knee. To his other side sat his buddy Abe who had his eyes focused on Nuala. After the fight in the Nightlands, Nuala and her brother had been brought back to the BPRD. Nuada had been in solitary for a year, now he was out. Officially, he was classified as "dangerous but stable" and only allowed him out under Red's supervision. The prince himself was unchanged for the most, save for his actions. His demeanor was as it had been, cold, haughty, and, in Liz's opinion, snobby.

What HAD changed since he was brought here was the company. Nuada had believed that once in the demon's clutches he'd be treated like a prisoner and a murderer, but he'd been surprised. His sister had forgiven him in seconds, she always was too forgiving. Abe had forgiven him quicker than the others, but then Krauss gave in. Liz had realized she was too busy with children to give a damn, but she still watched him sometimes. And Red… well, Red had told him that there was nothing to forgive. Not only had he been forgiven, but Washington had sent another to join their ranks.

Denny was a federal case, found standing outside a police station when he was seven, the boy had claimed to a BPRD agent that he could see "monsters". The agent had been a glamoured Fragglewump. At seven years old, he'd put those geeky goggles out of business. At twelve, he'd been shipped to the west coast as an inter-species liaison. At nineteen, he was in Trenton, sitting around with the BPRD agents.

"I can too, Red! Watch!" crowed the teen. He stood up and grabbed the pet carrier under his seat. "Wake up fellas! Show time!" He ran round to the table and set down the cage. He smiled as he pulled open the lock and coaxed out a tiny green tooth fairy. He grinned and scratched it under the chin. After he'd uncrated five of the little critters, he ushered them behind the carrier and began rummaging.

"This is a load of bull. These things ain't good for nothing but biting!" grumbled Red. Abe shuddered and nodded. Denny ran from the cage to the stereo and popped his iPod into the slot. He smiled and pressed play, running back to the cage.

"Preeeeeeeeesenting, CHOMP, CHEENA, NIBBLES, FLUFFIKINS, AND TATI!"

"Fluffikins?"

Nuada sighed and shook his head; the tooth fairies would tear the boy apart. That might even be fun to watch, he smiled to himself. The child was amusing enough, but a good tooth fairy attack was always fun. He settled back into his chair as he awaited the blood bath, but instead of screams his ears were met with opera.

Chomp, the green tooth fairy, stood up tall and began, in a squeaky way, to sing "La donna e mobile". Liz smiled and laughed as her husband gaped. They watched as a second tooth fairy scuttled out, this one wearing a red flamenco style dress that flowed over its tiny legs. The little pink creature purred and crooned a "Habanera" that brought Chomp over and made the little green guy blush. As Cheena, the pink fairy, wrapped up with a series of high notes, a blue fairy made its way into the center. The little thing was brandishing a miniature razor and was outfitted with a big black mustache and apron. Nibbles, as was his name, started out into a higher baritone of "The Barber of Seville".

_VIGARO VIGARO VIGAROVIGAROVIGAROVUIGAROVIGARO! Il oche doooooooor!_

"That…thing just sang…in ITALIAN!" gulped Manning.

As the "Figaro" scene wrapped up, the fourth fairy limped out. Nuada kept his eye on the white clad imp, its pierrot painted face shocked and confused him. As the other three began to mix their songs, the tempo racing, the little painted tooth fairy took center "stage". The music wound down to a slow, sad tune and the little guy reached out to the audience. "_Ridi, Pagliaccio, sul tuo amore infranto! Ridi del duol, che t'avvelena il cor!_" The damn beasts were singing opera…GOOD opera. Good HUMAN opera.

As the song wrapped up, the tiny creatures paired up and began to do a complex ballet routine. Step, twirl, arabesque into second position! They spun and jumped, using their little wings to leap high into the air. As they delighted the agents with dance, a tiny little figure came out of the carrier wrapped in a thick shawl. Its size was small even for a tooth fairy, but it's first soft wavering note hushed the cheering agents.

"There's a place for us,  
Somewhere a place for us.  
Peace and quiet and open air  
Wait for us  
Somewhere.

There's a time for us,  
Some day a time for us,  
Time together with time to spare,  
Time to look, time to care,  
Someday!  
Somewhere.  
We'll find a new way of living,  
We'll find a way of forgiving  
Somewhere."

The other fairies joined in with their little voices and acted as a harmony for the smallest one.

"There's a place for us,  
A time and place for us.  
Hold my hand and we're half way there.  
Hold my hand and I'll take you there  
Somehow,  
Someday,  
Somewhere!"

Red and the others sat back as the music ended. It was silent all but for Denny's giggles and cheers for his darling little pets.

"THAT'S my babies!" he beamed as he clapped and set about snuggling each one of them. Red and Nuada wore the same expression of pure bewilderment, while Nuala and Liz couldn't stop laughing. And Abe, well…"BRAVO! BRAVO! BRAVISIMO!"

"Told ja my babies could do it! Howzat fer a slice a pie?!" crowed Denny.

"Uh…that was just weird." Muttered the demon.  
"I agree," sighed Nuada. "VERY wrong and very weird."

_**Fin**_


	2. Why they don't clean

HIYA! Spreading my horizons over to the comics section! BTW I OWN JACK SHIT! Cept fer Denny. I OWNS him.

Denny: SAVE MEEEEEEE! XO *IS STUCK IN CAGE*

Nuada: Ooooh, that's gotta hurt.

QUIET YOU! ON WITH THE WEIRDNESS!

* * *

Why NO One at the BPRD Cleans

* * *

Denny had spent all weekend cleaning out the closet in his room; the last agent to stay there had left suddenly. Oh who are we kidding, HE DIED! Anyway, he'd sorted and catalogued and folded all weekend long and just when he thought he'd seen all there was to see in a guy's closet, he found it.

"AIEEEEEEEEEEEE! IT MOVED! OH GOD, NUADA!"

CRASH! Nuada heard the shrieks and clatter and soon came running. In his cleaning frenzies, Denny had stumbled upon several things such as a small colony of tarantulas that had been kept by an agent, twenty-seven dangerous paranormal artifacts, numerous dead mice, seven broken bottles of Coke Cola, and a partridge in a pear tree. What a bird was doing in a plastic bush in the attic of this old building was beyond him, but nonetheless the boy was a trouble magnet. Nuada, who'd taken a liking to the boy the moment that he arrived, had been running around all month making sure Denny didn't accidentally kill himself or get eaten.

"What? What is it?" He skidded into the room, looking about for Denny's source of panic. The boy was standing on a chair, pointing at the offending closet with a trembling finger.

"It. MOVED!" he whispered, his face as white as the elf's.

Nuada turned to the closet and took the dagger from his belt, ready to dispatch whatever had threatened the boy. His steps were silent as he crept towards the barely open door. Flinging it wide, he raised the blade in preparation to attack when he saw… a small black mass of hair.

He sighed, "Denny. It's only a rat." He bent and retrieved it, but he could feel no bones to it. His brow creased as he flipped it over. The thing was only hair glued to netted strings, a wig of some sort.

"Well? Is it dead?" Denny hated dead things. Rats, mice, birds, he shuddered at them. He saw animals like infants, innocent and driven only by instinct. The instinct to hunt, to shelter itself, to breed, to be with its own, that was an animal. Denny wasn't so generous with his own kind. He'd seen what humans could do, and hated it.

"No, it's fake. Only a wig, it seems." The prince tossed the hair piece to the human child, who caught it with a shudder.

"Ew…that's gross!" He flipped it over and stared at the netting. "Huh. That's weird."

"What do you mean?" The golden haired elf was returning his dagger to its place at his hip, but turned to look at the green-eyed child. Denny walked over to the door and started into the hall where the light was better.

"There's a tag in it, but the hand writings really scratchy. It says, 'Please return to Tess Farley'?"

"Tess Farley? Never heard of it."

"It's a NAME, SilverPANTS."

"What did I tell you about calling me that, boy?"

"Yeah, yeah. Blood, guts, and torture beyond compare. Blah, blah, blah, yada, yada, yada. I wanna know who Tess Farley is and why a girl's wearing a hairpiece!" The prince was now walking away and Denny followed after him, like a little pet.

"Ask the demon, he's been here longest."

"But… uh…"

"What did you do?"

"Well remember how he got mad at me for spilling punch on his favorite shirt last night? Yeah, he's still pissed."

"Why?"

"HOW SHOULD I KNOW?!"

Nuada sighed and rubbed his temples, "Let me guess, you want me to come along?"

"Just for protection. You know, big scary demon, little wimpy human, results may vary." The prince simply sighed and took hold of the boy's collar, dragging him off to Red and Liz's room. Red and Liz were glad to help, Liz more so than Red who WAS still miffed about the punch and shirt thing.

"A hair piece? GROSS!" exclaimed Liz when they told her of the discovery. Let me see it. She plucked it up with her index finger and thumb, turning it over and checking it out. "Hey, Red? Does that signature look familiar to you?"

"Yeah, it kinda looks like..."

"THERE you are! Red the media has NEW pictures of you and the twins! HOW'D this happen?"

"Manning."

"Yes?"

"No. I mean. MANNING!"

"What's that Agent Sherman? A rat? Or…Is that my…"

Denny gagged, "I'm never cleaning without gloves again, EVER again!"

Nuada nodded at the young boy, "I can't believe I TOUCHED that thing."

Manning grabbed his toupee and stormed out shouting something about "evil little monster teens with OCD" and "blond Baywatch wannabes".


	3. The Dream Collection

HALLOOOO! MERRY FREAKIN' CHRISTMAS BITCHES!  
Kaila: HI GUYS!  
This is Kaila, my BFF. She's helping with the art and storyline. She ish mah MUSE!  
Red: I Thought I was the muse!  
QUIET RED MONKEY!  
Disclaimer: I OWNS NUHSSING! YOU NO SUE!  
Denny: WTF? YOU MADE ME EMO! BITCH!  
Nuada: YOU MADE ME CARE! BITCH!  
SHADDAP!  
Scratch is mine, Denny is mine, DEAL WID IT!

* * *

Scratch and the Dream Collection

* * *

The week after Thanksgiving was always a busy one for the BPRD. Between the raids on "Illegal Troll Market Merchandise" or ITMM, the rush to buy Christmas gifts at low prices, and Red's love of yelling holiday carols at every single passerby, the agents were swamped. And this year would be even worse. With the arrival of Denny, it became even more stressful but in a good way. Denny had decided that shopping was priority and nothing would convince him otherwise. But where he did his shopping was what scared the others.

"The TROLL market?!" Denny winced when Liz's voice erupted. "Denny, you'll be dead in two shakes if you go in there! You have no way of defending yourself!" She really was getting this "mom" thing down.

Manning nodded, "I agree with Liz. We can't risk you going there alone. You're the most vulnerable member of the group, plus if YOU die Washington will be on my ass like ticks on a deer." Lovely image there. Denny shook his head.

"THAT'S why I need Nuada! He knows the market better than anyone! C'mon Toooooom! I promise I'll get you something REALLY good!" he pleaded. "Besides, I've already shopped in Newark and in the city and I still haven't been able to find the big gift things!"

Red chuckled; the kid had a hook in them. Now reel, kiddo, reel! The demon smirked and shook his head, "C'mon Manning, let the kid go. He'll have the Royal Pain with him. What can go wrong?"

"Vat can go wrong?" Krauss scoffed, "EVERYSING! You could be ambushed or captured or Mien Gott! You could be killed!"

Nuada narrowed his gaze. "Do you truly think I am so incapable of protecting the human from my own subjects, _Tin Man_?" Denny swallowed and glanced about nervously.

"SO! Can I please borrow the prince for, like, four hours and go shopping? PLEASE?"

"Fine! Go, but if anything goes wrong, it's on YOU, Kid."

"Yeah, yeah. C'mon Nuada! A shopping we will go!" And with that, the once proud Elvin prince was dragged off to New York City. Denny didn't even bother to grab a coat.

An hour later, Denny stood beside a street vendor looking over bejeweled necklaces. Nuada stood beside him, bundles in his arms, yawning at the benign sight. The sly vendor steeped his fingers and grinned, "If you're looking for something a little more…interesting… I could show you what I have in the back."

"We're not interested in your black market cop fodder." Nuada growled. The vendor would try to trick the boy into giving something to him.

"No thanks. I think that's all for today." Good job human, evade the deceivers. "Come on, Silver lance. I think I saw some better shops over by the fish monger." The chameleon skin of the vendor seemed to turn pale before it reddened. Nuada smirked, following the younger man toward an unlit alley. As they tread into the dank narrow walk, the hairs on his arms stood up as if excited by electricity.

"Ah, my favorite customer!" hissed a tenor voice. Nuada tried to see who was speaking, but his eyes were hidden by a grass hat. The lips however, were redder than the demon's and upon them lay a pair of fangs. Denny grinned manically and stepped forward.

"Do you know this…scum?" Nuada spat. The lips turned into a deep frown.

Denny shook his head and shushed him. "Hello, old friend. Excuse the elf, he forgets himself sometimes." Nuada jerked to look at his fellow agent, what side of Denny was this? "You told me you had something of interest, Scratch. It better not be another stupid summon that doesn't work.."

The lips returned to a smile and Scratch laughed, "No, no. Nothing like that. Something I think you'll rather enjoy, dear Denny." The being produced a case from behind his back and held it out to the human. Denny shivered and grasped the lid, opening it quickly.

"Oh Scratch, you've outdone yourself!" Nuada felt his eyes widen at what lay in the case, the small stones shone brightly, each gleaming with an internal flame. "Bravo! I'll take them."

"The usual price little one. Only more. I need more this time." Nuada's eyes fixed on the lips as a blackened tongue slid across. Denny nodded and closed the case, handing it to Nuada. He stepped forward and allowed the creature to embrace him. Nuada gaped as the lips descended on his young friend's shoulder. Denny didn't even wince as the fangs broke his skin, but Nuada could see a drop of liquid fall from his eyes. Nuada looked away as the beast drank from the boy. Bile rose in his throat, though he didn't know why. He assumed it was because of the barbaric nature of the situation.

"Ah, delicious as always, little lamb." Wheezed the creature as it let go of Denny. The boy stumbled back and held his neck a bit.

"Nice doing business with you, Scratch."

"Denny," Nuada rushed over and inspected the punctures. "Wha- why?! What the hell were you thinking?"

"Chill out SilverPANTS. I'm fine." The little human smiled. "Come on, that's enough shopping."

The taxi back to Trenton was silent. A first for any moment Nuada had experienced with Denny. The child seemed engrossed in his last purchase, rubbing the stones clean of dust and dirt. He didn't even seem to notice his bruising shoulder and neck. Just after they passed into New Jersey Nuada broke the silence.

"What are they?"

"Dream stones. The different colors are different dreams. The black ones are nightmares. Blue are peaceful. Yellow is fun. Red is love. That sort of thing."

"Why did you buy them?" Dreams were usually bought by collectors or madmen, what was Denny, Nuada thought to himself. The boy smiled and shuffled the stones about.

"I just… like looking at them. People have such beautiful dreams." He had pushed all the nightmares into a corner, as if offended by them.

"What about your dreams?"

Nuada never got an answer to that.


	4. Chapter 4

Hello Peeps! *bites heads off of marshmallow bunnies*  
Abe: O.O  
Meyers: hi Guys!  
*SHOOTS MEYERS* …die…  
Anywho. Nuala, please help me with the disclaimer.  
Nuala: *clears her throat* Fireside doesn't own any of this. She owns Denny, any original characters, the plot, the jokes, and a large amount of bubblegum. So please help her fan cause by not suing her. She really is a nice girl but very poor.  
Awww, thank you Nuala! ^/^  
Hellboy: Why do we *points at himself and Nuada* get yelled at all the time and the girls get *imitates high squeaky voice* "Oh thank you"!  
Well it's not just the girls. Abe gets the happy treatment too. And so does Denny.  
Hellboy: Denny IS a girl.  
Denny: uh… *looks down shirt* Lack of boobs. *looks down pants* Presence of male sex organs. And LACK OF BOOOOOOOOOOBS!  
Hellboy: Yer still girly.  
Liz: Shut up, Red. *thumps him*  
ON WITH THE STORY!

Chapter Four: In Which Nuada Reminisces and Denny's Arrival Is Explained

"BRAT!" The scream of the demon woke the Elvin prince. He was growing accustomed to Red's sibling rivalry with their newest arrival. Sighing, he pulled away his coverlet and stalked toward the sounds of conflict. He arrived in the cafeteria, barefooted and shirtless, rubbing sleep from his eyes to see the red-skinned being chasing a scrawny teen in boxers.

The warrior sighed and grabbed the boy by his arm as he ran past, pulling him back against his chest. The boy's eyes were wide with fear and his face was flushed. From the running, thought Nuada. He shook the thought away.

"What the Hell is going on?"

The demon answered first, "The brat ATE all of my cereal! All the cereal! I'm gonna choke it back out of him!"

"I didn't do it! It was gone when I got there! I don't even LIKE yer icky generic cocoa crap!"

"HEY! Cocoa Pops aren't crap!"

"SHUT UP!" screamed Nuada. The boy and demon stopped and looked at him. "You are almost sixty years old you worthless hulk! Act like it! And you!" He turned to glare at the child, "Human, you have been nothing but a childish annoyance to everyone here!"

"I have a name you know!" snapped the boy. "DENNY. D-E-DOUBLE N-Y! And I…You…JERKFACE!"

They watched as the skinny human stomped off toward the library. Nuada shook his head and was about to speak when suddenly he was spun around and poked in the chest with a smoldering finger.

"HEY, PRINCEY!" shouted a flaming Liz. "What makes you think you can just yell at the kid like that! And YOU!" She turned on Red. "I was the one who ate all your dumb cereal, you blockhead! And guess what, they do suck!" Oh shit, thought the men, PMS.

"Brother." Nuada winced and turned to look at his twin. "Do you not remember how you once were a child? Have you forgotten it so easily? He's your friend." He refused to look at her eyes, instead staring at his feet. "Please brother, don't let him hurt like that." He walked away without another word.

The once proud prince's thoughts were dark as he made his way to the library. The cathedral ceiling calmed him, reminded him of the halls of his fore fathers. His meditation was best done in the dusty old room. But lately it had been interrupted by the new agent. He thought back to the arrival of the skinny little brat, nearly a year ago.

"So the boys back in DC are sending another agent our way. Apparently he's been a big hit on the West Coast.", droned Manning. "I heard from a buddy at the Capitol that he's a very different kind of guy. Very enlightening to work with."

Red rolled his eyes, "Manning, do you ever make yourself sick with your sycophantic shit?" Liz coughed to mask her laughter, but her smiled showed.

"No. I don't."

"I haff not had zee pleasure off vorking vith Agent Finchly. I haff heard off his abilities however und met him wery briefly at a conference!" exclaimed Doctor Krauss.

"Why do we ever need this new agent?" whined Red.

Manning sighed, "Apparently he asked to be assigned here. Lord knows why but he wants to work with you, Red. He's a fan, I guess."

"Well at least we know he's got taste." muttered Red.

The lift groaned and shuddered down the elevator shaft, the agents looked toward the lift. At first all that was visible were the suited agents that stood in the front of the lift. As the elevator stopped and locked into place, the "suits" stepped off revealing a scrawny, auburn haired teenager. His roughed up jeans were tucked into worn out leather combat boots and under his long coat he wore a simple band tee. He was freckle-faced, bony-bodied, and YOUNG! He hitched his duffle back onto his shoulder and jumped the foot from the lift to the floor. His green eyes swept across the crowd and settled on Doctor Krauss.

"Hey Doc! How's tricks?" he laughed and gave a mock salute. Red looked at Liz, Liz looked at Abe, Abe looked at Krauss, and Krauss walked forward and took the boy's hand.

"A pleasure to see you again, Agent Finchly! I haff been qvuite vell, und yourself?"

"Can't complain Doc, though I admit, I didn't think it'd be this cold here in Jersey." The boy grinned lopsidedly and looked at the others. "So, you gonna introduce yerselves 'er should I start assigning bad nicknames?"

Liz smiled and stepped forward, "Guess so. I'm Liz Sherman. And this big lunk," she patted Red's shoulder. "…is Hellboy. But most of us just call him Red."

"Hey." Red waved.

The kid smiled, "Hiya."

"And this is Abe. Uh, that's Manning, and these are the other agents." She pointed out everyone.

"I'm Denny Finchly. Nineteen years old. Been working with the BPRD for twelve years, all of 'em as a field agent."

Denny's smile remained as Liz showed him around. The labs, cafeteria, infirmary, bunk rooms were all the same as at his previous location, but what really made him happy was the library. The arching ceilings, winding staircase, the towering books, it seemed like a fairytale palace to him. When Liz tried to talk to him, she was unheard. Denny walked to one of the larger books and picked it up, an older tome written in a language only Doctor Broom had known. He smiled as he opened it and whispered the words inside. A dazzling string of colored lights swirled out of the pages and shifted into shapes before him.

"You know what that old pile of papers says?" quipped Red.

"It is a _Book of Aiglin_, an Elvin story of the beginning times. I knew a man once who owned one. He taught me to read it." He murmured.

"How would a pathetic creature like you know the Old Magic?" The taunt came from Nuada, who had secretly been following them since the lift. Distrust and malice dripped from his tone as he continued, "What kind of being would teach a weak little human about the beginning times? A traitor or a thief!"

Denny's mind went blank as the prince descended the stairs and stalked toward him. He remembered how his friend/antagonist Scratch had described the Prince of Bethmoora. Tall, blonde, annoying as hell, the merchant had said. But this was…WAY MORE than that. Denny wasn't stupid, he knew who this was, what he'd done and what he could do. Without batting an eyelash he dropped to one knee and held his hand to his heart.

Nuada was surprised when the human bowed to him in Bethmooran fashion. There was no hint of greed or selfishness in the air about him, only a sad, awed sort of reverence. When the boy stood back up he simply nodded to the prince and made his way over to the phonograph in the corner.

"Liz?" piped Denny. "Can I put my stuff away? I'm kinda tired." Gone was the emphatically happy child, the somber courtly trained scholar. This was a tired, sweet child who wanted nothing more than sleep. Nuada frowned as the dark-haired fire-starter scooted the young boy off to bed.

In the days that followed, Nuada barely saw the boy, who had begun to busy himself with settling in. The elf was curious about the boy who spoke his language like one of his own, whose expression changed with a single glance, and who had brought multiple boxes from the attic of the old building down to his room. Finally, Nuada found the boy alone in the library.

Spinning gracefully on his toes, the juvenile agent's body whirled with the music crackling from the antique phonograph. His fingers splayed across an invisible partner as his legs lifted into the air. Nuada had heard of ballet and opera but this was more like a flowing art form given by the body. The boy dropped to the flats of his feet and began to simply twirl about the room, as if lost in the _concerto_ that resounded about the books.

"Are you gonna stare all day, Prince? Or would you reather say what you want to say to me?" Denny grinned at him.

"Why would I want anything to do with you? You're a human, a weak callous being that knows nothing of true magic."

"And yet here you are, watching me spin around like a complete child."

"You're wasting my time, human."

"So leave. I wouldn't want you to spend all your time with a useless human when you have such important things to do."

Nuada growled at the sardonic tone this human, this CHILD, took with him. The only thing that detered this boy's wholesale slaughter was the demon. He wasn't ready to try going against fate again any time soon.

"Do you dance, Prince Nuada?" The question was out of place and for a moment it threw Nuada.

"No! I mean, I can but… I haven't danced in a long time. Why am I telling you this?" he spat.

"Because, you are bored here with no one to talk to. It must be difficult to be so high above everyone else. Too much work if you ask me."

"I didn't ask you."

"But you want to." Denny said, stopping on a dime. " You want to ask me lots of things. You want to know how I learned your language, why I'm different than other humans, why I'm spinning around a library like a five year old. So ask, ask anything you like. But, one one condition. Nuada narrowed his gaze on the young man.

"What condition?" he asked, waiting to hear a favor of riches or power.

"Dance with me."

Nuada blinked in surprise. In his head, his mind grated and strained trying to find an alterior motive for this strange request. Perhaps this was an assasination attempt. Or a way to try and steal his power! But in the end, Nuada was left staring at an unassuming boy and with a mind filled with questions. The boy was correct in his assumptions. Nuada was bored. Each day he woke up, trained, ate, trained more, ate, and then went to bed. This place had made him yearn for anyone to talk to, even a weak, pathetic human. Well, he mused to himself, at least this human is diverting.

"I may have... It's been so long. I've forgotten." he murmured.

The ginger haired youth laughed and took his hands, "You can't forget how to dance, Prince. You just have to do it. And I have a name you know. It's Denny. D-E-DOUBLE N-Y." He rested his left hand on the taller man's shoulder and placed the other on the man's arm. Nuada stepped toward Denny and soon the two were waltzing about the library, talking like two civilized equals.

Nuada felt his lips turn up at the memories of their first real conversation, those hours they spent listening to the old records from the attic, and the laughter that had echoed in the building that night. The boy really was growing on him, and then today he had been scornful to him. Denny was the only one here who he could truly call a friend. He sighed and looked into the library to see the young man sniffling in his favorite cushiony chair.

Nuada walked to the phonograph and picked up the record they had listened to that first night, blew off the dust, and put it on. He placed the needle on the record and listened as the music crackled to life. The Elvin warrior wandered to the other male's side and offered his hand.

"Denny, would you like to dance with me?"

Author's Note Time!

Okay, granted Nuada may seem a bit Out of Character here but, seriously, he was THAT BORED. I mean who is he gonna turn to for convorsation in that place? RED? Yeah, right. Liz? Never. ABE? DATING HIS SISTER! MANNING? TOTAL ASS! The idea is that he begin conversing with Denny as a way to keep himself from being bored into insanity and figures out that Denny's actually a fairly okay convorsationalist and rather interesting, as for Denny's strange "odd for a human" knowledge... BLAME SCRATCH and certain other things.


	5. Chapter 5

Fire here! Thanks for tuning in for another chapter of Denny and the BPRD!  
Nuada: You made me all sympathetic last time, girl.  
Red: Naaaah, she's not done yet.  
He's RIGHT! And this chapter is for my new buddy on deviantArt: PrinceNuadaProject! I THANKS you PNP! THIS is for reviewing my crappy fanfic! ^_^  
Denny: WE LOVE YOU! *waves and tosses cupcakes*  
SO, disclaimer! Krauss?  
Dr. Krauss: Alright, Fire does not own any off zee characters represented in this literature, besides Denny, Scratch, und zee multiple extras used. She also does not own a Nuada plushie.  
Though I want one. *pouts*  
Krauss: Yes, vell, anyvay… please to not be suing her for she ist poor und short.  
Okay this one is multipart. 'Cause otherwise it'd be like OMG LONG! So, part one of the epic "girl" road trips. Now, ON to the story!

Chapter Five: In Which Liz and Denny Plan for the NYC Trip of Awesome-tastic-ness

Nuada Silverlance was accustomed to being awakened by the sounds of his comrades now that he'd been with the demon and his ilk for more than a year and a half. The sounds of creatures taking their "Tuesday Walks", the smell of coffee saturating the halls, even Red's annoying shouting sprees, all of them were his alarm clock until Denny moved in. Now he was woken by a mixture of human songs, the scent of fresh fruit and cream, and the feeling of a hand tapping his shoulder.

The little human had taken to waking him each morning before the sun fully rose, usually with some sort of pastry in hand, and a smile reaching from ear to ear. Then the ginger imp would convince him out of bed, usually using the pastry, and into the library where a little platter of food would be sitting waiting for the two. The boy wasn't too talkative during breakfasts, knowing that the prince enjoyed some silence in the mornings. They'd chat quietly in older tongues, and in these early morning moments the younger man seemed almost eloquent. But this day, the younger man seemed preoccupied with something.

"Denny? Is something on your mind?"

"No, just… thinking about some shopping I need to do. I haven't needed much since I moved in, but…"

"You go to the troll market almost every week." The prince quipped.

"No, I mean HUMAN shopping. For human things… like…socks!"

"You need socks?"

"No, I'm just giving an example. I guess I'll just have to get to a mall. Maybe Liz knows a good one or maybe your sister knows one…"

"Nuala has not yet gone on an outing into your human world."

"Really? Huh. Guess I'll ask if she wants to come along then." And with that the ginger haired boy skipped off, leaving Nuada quite alone for breakfast.

When Nuada arrived in the training gym, Red could tell he was out of sorts.

"What's eatin' you, Princey?" Red's drawl was pronounced and his tone curt, but still low enough to be considered caring.

Nuada sighed and sat back against the wall, "I worry… Denny is going to ask Nuala and Liz to go shopping with him, and I worry what will happen to Nuala."

"Between Liz and Denny…well… hmm… Liz'll watch her." The two of them smiled, so far Denny didn't strike them as a fighter.

The fairer faced male shook his head, "What if something happens?"

Red rolled his eyes and sighed, "Look, if you're going to be such a worry wort then go with them. Hell, it's not like the Kid'll say no ta you."

Nuada stood, "That's what I shall do then."

Red shook his head as he watched the idiot prince walk off, "Royal pain in the ass that one."

Nuada ran towards the cafeteria where he knew he sister would be finishing breakfast. His long legs lead him to his sister's side where the dark-haired mother of two (three if you counted Red) and his ginger haired alarm clock sat chatting happily. Sitting down beside his twin he nodded to Liz when she welcomed him to the "land of the living". And then Denny opened his mouth and said something completely shocking.

"Hey SilverPants, would you mind coming with us when we go out? I'm planning one helluva shopping trip and we might get back late, besides I'll need someone to help me keep the creeps of the world off yer sister's trail. Please?" he chirruped. Nuada blinked and nodded, still a little confused how the boy had been able to see that he wanted to keep an eye out for his twin. Denny smiled and winked conspiratorially and turned back to the girls to plan their "NYC Trip of Awesome-tastic-ness" as he called it. The prince smiled and helped himself to some of Denny's morning doughnut boon which sat to the right of his elbow.

"Okay, so we'll hit each of the major malls and shopping strips in Staton Island, Manhattan, and the Bronx and so on. So that's, like, fourteen malls?" Denny queried to his female co-conspirators.

"Yep. And given five hours for each area on average, that's…seventy hours of shopping." noted Liz. Nuala's eyes widened.

"Plus meals, sleep, and sightseeing."

"Who said sightseeing?"

"I figure we're blowing all my paychecks from the last year sooo… why not?"

"Oh, you don't have to pay, Denny." Nuala murmured.

"No biggie, Princess. I never spend money much and they pay us more than enough to cover a trip like this. Plus, this is kinda like my present to you two."

"What for?" piped Liz.

"You know, fer bein' my best girls!" he winked and they awed at his answer, thanking him. "Besides, Liz I KNOW you could use a break from Red, as much as I love him. And Nuala, you've never been on a 'Denny Road Trip of Epicness', so duh! And Nuada could actually meet some humans he'll like. You'd be surprised how many tree-huggin', earth children live in overpopulated spots."

Nuada looked over, having been distracted by Denny's never ending doughnut box which he'd been enjoying. His name had come up and he'd not really been listening.

"What?"

"Nothing, SilverPants, just planning the trip."

"When do we go?"

"Not 'til tomorrow, so pack yer stuff tonight."

"Pack? How long can you three possibly shop?"

"Well, we're planning like…a ten day trip."

"…What?"

TO BE CONTINUED! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!


	6. Chapter 6

HEY GUYS!  
Denny: Hiya!  
This chapter goes out to my girls: Kaila, Kaylen, Heather, and Hazel. I love ya, girls, and I wouldn't have made it through this year without you!  
Liz: Awwwwwww.  
Mind doing the whole shpeel for me Lizzie?  
Liz: *Smirks* Sure. Fire doesn't own any of this. She owns Denny, any original characters, the plot, the jokes, and a duffel bag ready to head to NYC. So please help her fan cause by not suing her. She really is poor, especially after paying for this trip.  
Red: What trip? *blinks*  
OH YEAH! BY THE WAY GUYS! I won't be able to contact you for about a week to ten days. ASK ME WHY!  
Denny: *grins* WHY!  
'CAUSE I'M GONNA BE IN NYC BABY! I'm going to the East Coast, Jersey and New York, and while I'm there I'm going to be scouting places for Denny's Adventure's in NYC.  
Denny: DUDE I'M SO COMING WITH YOU!  
Of course you are! You're a figment of my overactive imagination coupled with higher functioning mental capabilities and mild insanity that lives in my head. Where else would you be going but with me?  
Red: Canada?  
DON'T START THAT AGAIN!  
Nuala: And now ON WITH THE FIC! *giggles*  
O.o Wtf?

Chapter Six: In Which Denny Packs, Dances, and Nuada is Weirded Out

There it sat. The bane of every traveler's existence: the suitcase. Denny preferred something a little sturdier and simpler, but because of the nice-ness of the hotel Liz and he had picked he would be forced to upgrade from his beat up army issue duffels to a clunky black box on wheels. He hated it. Looking at the offending object, he tried to imagine fitting all of his necessities inside.

He huffed and scratched his head, "This…may become difficult." And with that began to pick out his clothes for the trip.

So when Nuada came in an hour later, he was surprised to find Denny's usually happy go lucky room in a state of clutter that rivaled Red's bachelor days. The stereo in the corner turned up full blast, pumping out something Nuada recognized as Hindi. Closet doors were flung open, revealing a lifetime of clothes and old toys. A suitcase lay on Denny's desk, half filled with socks and boxers. And there in the middle of the storm was Denny, hands above his head, hips rolling to the beat.

All of this Nuada had seen before but the single thing that held him stopped in the doorway were the leather pants. The leather pants that rode low on Denny's hips. The leather pants that showed off his long, slender legs. The leather pants that looked painted on. The leather pants that were showing off a completely foreign side of Denny that Nuada had not even seen in his nightmares. The leather pants…were utterly new to Prince Nuada.

"Great Gods of Tuatha Danann!" he gasped, unable to look away from the spectacle before him. Denny started and look back at him, shrieking and backing up, hands wrapping round his exposed midriff.

"GAH! Nuada! I…I CAN EXPLAIN!" he screeched, blushing darkly.

"Please…do!"

"I… I just wanted to see if they still fit!" He stopped himself and took in a breath.

"I…see…that. But why are they so…"

"So what?"

"Tight."

"Oh…yeah…uh… It's a... West Coast Thing."

"Ah."

"Yeaaaaaah, I thought you'd say something to that effect."

"Would you mind…?" Nuada's face was a shade of red that Denny had never seen and the royal's left eye wouldn't stop twitching. Not only that but he was fidgeting with his hands! Oh right, dude friend in a tight, leather, "fuck me" pants that leave nothing to the imagination. Most people think that's weird.

"OH SHIT! I'm sorry! I'm gonna go change." And with that, Denny ran to his bathroom and locked the door behind him, leaving Nuada to his thoughts and his twitching.

Fiasco avoided, Denny returned to find Nuada folding up the clothes that sat in the suitcase. One thing Denny's come to realize about the elf was his need for cleanliness. It seemed to run in his blood as Nuala was quite the same, but she was less likely to complain and more likely to just produce a mop from nowhere and clean. Elves, he'd come to see, were very neat.

"Ah, what a sight! The great Prince of the Tuatha De does laundry. Now, you do know that I don't usually FOLD my underwear, right?"

"Ha ha, very funny, Denny. You'll be able to fit your things better this way."

"I know! I was just getting everything I needed first!"

"And the…pants?" The prince smirked as his little friend blushed.

"Uh…I was thinking of going clubbing while we're in the city. You know, maybe find a cute guy who'll dance with me or even better ask me out. I mean, it's been a while since I've gone out. I'm kinda…lonely."

Nuada blinked at his friend's words. He'd known for some time of his little human friend's preferences, but his words still startled him. The young human could be serious and quiet, but lonely seemed out of his reach. This was the boy who found friends everywhere he went, who laughed with abandon, and who personally made sure his friends were okay. Hell, this kid made Puck look like a starch-collared bean counter, whatever that was. He'd tried asking the demon once but he'd only laughed.

"How do you mean?"

"Well, I guess I miss dating." He looked over at the blond prince and sighed at the confused expression on his face. "I miss being held tight against someone, waking up to kisses, that sort of thing." The prince smiled at his little friend and reached over to put a hand on the scrawny kid's shoulder. This was a scene he knew well; as he'd acted it out many times with Nuala. A fear of being lost in a vast sea of couple-dom, every girl seemed to have this fear. Well, every girl and Denny. And with the amount of time he'd spent assuring his sister of her one day love, he was perfectly capable of handling this.

"Here now, don't be like that." Nuada crooned, as he petted the boy's head. "You'll find someone. I'll see if I can't take Nuala and Elizabeth off your hands one night so you can go off on your own. How does that sound?"

Denny grinned and looked up at him, "Thanks Nuada."

"Come on, I'll help you pack."

Yes, Nuada sees Denny as... DUN DUN DUN... a really girly guy. Complete with self esteem issues and the fear of not finding Mr. Right!


	7. Chapter 7

HEY GUYS! I'M BACK FROM NUEVA YORK!  
Red: Why is she speaking Spanish?  
Denny: We saw _In The Heights_ while we were there. She's been switching from Spanish, to Italian, to a cockney accent ever since we got back. I gotta say, it was a helluva trip.  
Liz: So it was good?  
Denny: Ho yeah. And she got a picture with the naked cowboy.  
Liz: OOOOOOOH!  
So yeah, I wanna give a shout out to PrinceNuadaProject, who is an absolute doll! LAWL INSIDE JOKE!  
Scratch: While she's laughing I'll finish up the legal biz. Fire doesn't own anything except her teddy bears from NYC, the nice new Chinese dress, the political "screw you" t-shirt, and some jewelry. _Hellboy is the sole property of somebody else goddammit!_ She does however own Denny, the "Bat Mobile", and myself. Thanks for reading and, please, don't sue my client.  
You're a lawyer? You're MY LAWYER?  
Scratch: No dear, I'm better than a lawyer.  
Denny: Yeah, lawyers can't kill people!  
Oh god I'm screwed.  
Red: ONWARD!

Chapter Seven: In Which Our Heroes Hit the Road (and Nuada Acts Weirdly Protective)

Denny had borrowed one of the departments "confiscated" vehicles for the drive upstate, a lime green Mini Cooper to be exact. The idea of hours in a metal box with Nuada almost sent Liz into a coma. But who she was truly worried for was Nuala. She hoped that the Elvin prince would allow his sister to enjoy herself on their trip. But she had a plan in case his "High And Mighty-ness" got too protective. EVIL plans.

The petite fire-starter smirked as she watched Denny try to pack the four suitcases into the trunk, with much "heaving and ho-ing". With one final running shove he managed to stuff the luggage down into the trunk. The ginger haired teen huffed and leaned against the side of the car.

"Okay, next time Silver Pants can pack the luggage into the car!" the teen bemoaned. His friend laughed at the sight of him, all haggard from the trial of the suitcases. He smirked over at her, as if challenging her to try it for herself. The two burst into laughter as the blonde twins walked out of the building, ogling at the sight of the two.

"Alright, what sparked this moment of sudden gaiety?" giggled the princess.

"Luggage." Liz stated.

"I see. So, shall we be off then?"

"Indeed! OFF WE GO!"

That had been two hours ago. Two hours and twenty-two miles to be exact. Yes, that's right; they'd only gotten twenty-two miles from Headquarters. Thank god for seven car pile-ups, eh? But yes, they were stuck on the vast expanse of road with two hundred cars, fifty-four semi trucks, and an SUV of nuns (we can't make this stuff up) in the way of their destination. Complete stop.

"Nuns… Jesus, Mary, and Joseph! NUNS! This is like something out of a nightmare!" groaned Denny. The quartet sat in the car, doors and windows open to let in the breeze that thankfully was blowing through the hot day. Nuala and Nuada had been forced into "human garb" to avoid unwanted attention. The princess looked content in her billowy blouse and snug shorts and her brother looked almost livid in his t-shirt and jeans. Why, you ask? Well…

"That man is looking at us again," snarled the paranoid prince. "He knows something." The others sighed and rolled their eyes, the warrior had been saying that for an hour now. The man in question was driving a Corvette and was sitting on the bumper of his car finishing what had once been a long black cigarette. Said driver had on occasion looked over at the Mini Cooper, nodding congenially at the group.

Denny stretched and stepped out of the car, "You need to lighten up." He walked to the back of the vehicle and opened the trunk. Pulling out a portable cooler, he shut the trunk and walked to the front of the car, motioning his companions to join him. Inside the cooler were sandwiches, snacks, fruit, water, milk, and everything that had this morning resided in Denny's personal fridge.

"Wow, Den! This is great! How'd you know we'd need all this?" inquired Liz with a sly smile. The freckle faced lad smiled and set about distributing their luncheon.

"Actually, I always pack in case of emergencies. Back on the West Coast traffic jams like this happen a lot. Guess I'm just used to it by now." He pulled out an extra sandwich and turned to the driver who'd earned Nuada's suspicions.

As the warrior prince watched Denny walk over and offer the large "hoagie", as Red called them, to the driver he felt a surge of displeasure seep into his bones. The man seemed to be all to interested in the young agent and more specifically his hindquarters. Nuada sneered as the driver trying to offer the naive boy one of his "death sticks", laughing cruelly when Denny shook his head and declined. Of course the impish boy didn't smoke, the prince thought to himself as he glared at the man, now making small talk with the ginger headed youth. Nuada saw Denny stiffen at something the man said and back away almost unnoticeably. The driver smirked and leaned forward, whispering far too close to the agent's ear.

At that moment, Nuada stalked forward and took Denny's elbow firmly, "The traffic is beginning to move."

"Oh!" His relief poured out as he exhaled, "I guess we'd better get back to the car, huh? Oh, um, Bye!" He waved and ran back to the green vehicle, dragging the prince with him.

A quarter of an hour later, moving slowly through the traffic, Denny drove quietly as the girls napped in the backseat. The Elvin prince was watching the cars pass on the other side of the freeway when Denny suddenly spoke.

"Nuada?" The prince turned from the front window to look at his companion. "Thanks for getting me away from that creep."

"What did he do to make you so uncomfortable?" The elder's voice was tight and restrained, trying to conceal his anger.

Denny ran a hand through his hair as he sighed. "It's what he said that bugged me. I mean I've heard all sorts of stuff but he just had this creep-factor."

"Denny, what did he say to you?"

"He…" the young man shivered, "He told me I looked like a screamer. Then he got all close and said he could give me a good reason to scream. It just… he just freaked me out is all. Bad vibes, ya know?" Nuada placed his hand overtop Denny's on the steering wheel and brushed his thumb across the boy's knuckles. The two of them stayed like that until they'd reached the hotel.


	8. Chapter 8

Wow, I got really lazy on this series!  
Denny: I FEEL SO UNLOVED!  
Red: Oh, shut up. Fire doesn't own jack shit, 'cept Denny and the extras and the plot so suck it up and read.  
Nice, Red. Why not INSULT my readers too, while you're at it!  
Red: Okay… You're all-  
Liz: RED!  
ANYWHO!

Chapter Eight: In Which Our Heroes Arrive At the Hotel or Nuala and Denny Talk

Nuala was awakened by her brother, just as they were entering the city limits of Newark. She watched as the buildings climbed higher into the sky and the air became denser. As they drove along the river, the princess was shocked to see dingy grey instead of the subtle blue that she'd always known water to be. The world still varied in color as they drove, but the green in the city was not provided by grass or trees, but by sporadic lights and huge view-blocking advertisements. When Denny finally pulled up to the hotel, it shocked her to think that they would be sleeping in something so metallic.

The hotel valet was a courteous young woman who ensured that the mini cooper would be safely taken to the parking garage while simultaneously ushering a bellhop over to collect their luggage. As Denny led the way inside and up to the front desk, he watched in his periphery as Nuala's eyes uncertainly cast about the lobby. He and Liz had picked a fairly modern hotel on the river, facing the Statue of Liberty and the city of New York, that had wonderful rooms and a hot breakfast served in the mornings. He knew it would be a culture shock for Nuala, who unlike her brother had not spent much time amongst the humans. He surreptitiously slipped his hand into the princess's and squeezed softly.

In the young man's eyes Nuala stood as a stark contrast to everything he saw before him. He loved both her and Liz, but while Liz stuck him as a dear friend and sister figure, Nuala reminded him of his mother. Denny could see in her the same tranquility and ethereal beauty that he remembered of his mother. They had the same full mouth, short straight nose, and wide expressive eyes. It sometimes hurt to watch the Elvin woman do simple tasks like read a book or brush her hair. And when she laughed it was like having his mother back, if only for an instant. Denny smiled as those familiar eyes widened in surprise and once more he grasped her hand as if it were a lifeline to the past he'd been painfully torn from.

They concierge checked them in quickly and showed them up to the suites Denny had obtained. Liz and Nuala would sleep in one suite, while he and Nuada shared the other. Nuada being the orderly elf he was, set about immediately to unpacking and checking to make sure he found the room satisfactory, but Denny, concerned for Nuala, slipped over to their door across the hall and knocked delicately. Liz was the one to open the door, leaving with an explanation that she was going to call home and make sure that everything was going smoothly. As the fire-starter's form disappeared around the corridor, Denny walked silently into the girls' suite, his eyes falling on Nuala as she stood at the balcony.

"Everything is so close here." She murmured, her eyes glossy with unshed tears. "The buildings, the people, even the air seems to be weighted down. I tried to tell myself it couldn't be true, that he couldn't be correct, but he was. He wasn't lying when he said they had changed the world so much in so little time. How can humans live like this? I can hardly even tell that this is our Earth. Can anything grow in a place like this?"

Denny cast his eyes downward as she spoke, he'd grown up in a city, he'd only been to the country once as a child and only recently had he been able to see parts of the world that were almost untouched. He knew that seeing this hurt his companion, but he knew she would also see the beauty of this place if he showed it to her.

"Nuala, there is something I want you to see." He whispered, taking her hand and drawing her out onto the balcony. He waited for a moment before pointing out toward the river below and the benches and viewpoints that ran alongside it. At one of the benches sat a middle aged gentleman holding the hand of a little girl in a blue dress and stockings, her legs swinging above the ground as they watched the waves break. Nuala silently observed a woman, obviously the child's mother, rush out of a nearby building arms wide and saw the girl jump off the bench and hurry to embrace her mother. The man walked toward them, wrapping his arms around the two and exchanging a kiss with the woman that seemed endless. Denny leaned against the railing as the three walked off. He wet his lips before he spoke and turned his gaze to the darkening sky.

"This city may not grow flowers or trees or even a single blade of grass. But wherever there is a chance, it will grow love. It's true, humans are cruel and stupid and selfish, but we're only human. We can only ever wish to be like you, Nuala. But one thing humans can do, much more easily than any other being, is love. We love so much it hurts and even if that is the case, we wouldn't ever give it up. Not for anything." He sighed and looked out across the bay, to the twinkling lights of New York City, and whispered, as if praying to some unknown power. "No matter how much it hurts me, I'll never stop loving you. Even if I never feel anything but pain, I still want to love."

Nuala laid a hand on his shoulder and turned him to face her, "Love who?" Denny stared at her, as if he'd been woken from a dream.

"No one. Just someone I miss." He mumbled as she pulled him into her arms. Against her breast she held him, stroking his hair and gently rocking. He closed his eyes and in that moment, he did not see his mother's face in his mind, but Nuala's bright and loving one. They stayed like that and did not see a faint shadow exit the room. If they had, surely one of them would have questioned why Nuada had tears in his eyes.


	9. Chapter 9

OHMIGAWD! I am inspired to continue this series! FINALLY! And it's thanks to YOU, diresphinx! So, in honor of you, we all chipped in and did a little something for you!  
Denny: Ready guys?  
Red: No.  
Liz: Yes, you are!  
Cast: THANK YOU DIRESPHINX! *roll out Banner of Thank You*  
Denny: We hope you enjoy this next part of the series! We're thinking of you, girl!  
Nuada, you picked the short straw at this week's brainstorming session, so YOU have to do the disclaimer!  
Nuada: *sigh* Hellboy and its characters are owned in respect by Mike Mignola and Guillermo del Toro. Fire owns Denny, Scratch, and the extras, because she created them with the help of mild insanity and a higher calling for stupidity. She would like to thank the States of New York and New Jersey, as well as the cities of New York City and its boroughs, Newark, and Trenton for their cooperation in the production of these works which are only meant to entertain, not to gain profit. Frost does not profit from this; if she did, she would be able to buy her own college textbooks.  
…Go soak your head, Silverlance.  
Nuada: Dually noted, you bothersome miniature female.  
I'm NOT miniature! I'm vertically challenged!  
Abe: Anyway, on with the show!

Chapter 9: Sharing Rooms or Confessions in A Hotel Room

Denny snuck back into his and Nuada's shared suite tiptoeing across the carpeted floor, knowing that even the slightest noise may alert the elven prince to his sudden presence, but as the light blinked on he knew he'd been caught.

"Hey, Silverlance. Still up?" Denny spun to look at the figure of the warrior dark against the soft yellow light. As his vision adjusted to the light he could make out the faint scars from battles long past, the shape of muscle long trained to perfection, and the frown that seemed to constantly mar a face that had seen more than he could care to dream of.

"You were with my sister and Miss Sherman for quite some time." Nuada's voice was bizarrely strained, as if it took effort to speak. Denny's smile died at the elf's tone and he stepped over to Nuada's bed and knelt in front of his friend. Normally proud gold eyes seemed dull and distant, even for the brooding royal. Soft fingertips grazed the prince's pale face causing him to stare at the young human.

"Nuada, is something the matter? You're acting… oddly." The man in question stood and walked away from the bed. He stopped short in front of the sliding glass doors which separated him from the scents of the city and the dying river. His fingers traced runes into the glass as he watched the boats pass.

"My sister has grown close to you, boy. You'd best not hurt her or let anything happen to her while we are here." said Nuada staring out over the murky waters of the bay. 'She's grown closer to him, than anyone. Even you,' snarled a part of Nuada, 'even her brother is eclipsed by a mere human child. She trusts him more than you.'

If someone could have looked at the city and bay through Nuada's eyes, they'd have seen a world purged of all its goodness. The murky waters seemed sluggish and weary, to the eyes of the ageless being. Nothing lived in this water, for all life had been drained from it long ago. And to his keen orbs the lights of the city reminded him of war and the fires of an enemy camp. Around those lights, he told himself, men corrupted and destroyed what little good was left in them. The once proud prince glared at the world beyond the glass and clenched his hands into fists.

Warmth covered his right hand, the warmth of the human beside him. Denny held his fist in his small human hands and raised it to his lips. Nuada jumped at the kiss, looking on at his human friend in a shocked manner. Denny held his hand, pulling the fingers out straight and tracing the palm. The child, at least in Nuada's eyes he was a child, spoke softly. There was strangeness to his voice, a similarity to Nuada's own that shouldn't have been there. Nuada shook it off as being a part of his mind.

"Did I do the right thing in bringing you here? In bringing you both among these people? Nuala is easy enough to console, but you continue to puzzle me, Nuada. We've known each other for two years now and I still can't figure you out. Contented one day and brusque the next, is that anyway to live? I don't assume to change your opinions of my kind when I myself can't seem to stand them for long." Denny stood in front of Nuada, eyes staring into the elven man's hand. Sighing, Nuada took both of Denny's hands in his own.

"It was the right thing to do, Denny. You brought me to protect my sister. As for my temper, I will not apologize. I am naturally this way. I do try to avoid hurting you, Elizabeth, and Nuala, but I cannot be what I am not. Besides, you too could be accused of such temperament." The prince smiled and reached a hand up to the human boy's face. This boy was so stubborn, but so was he and this was what made the two of them so similar. Or at least that was what Nuada believed.

Denny sighed, "Will you be alright with this trip? I could always get one of the agents to come guard Nuala and Liz."

"And what about you, eh? Do you forget who else needs protection?" laughed Nuada.

"I'm not so weak that I can't look after myself, SilverPANTS!" said Denny, blushing lighting in anger.

"Yes, yes. Has anyone ever told you that the particular shade of red you blush when angry is quite fetching?" teased the older man. Denny turned a shade of red that would've made a tomato jealous.

"Well, at least I have blood that doesn't run a freezing temperatures!" snapped Denny, stepping closer.

"Well, at least I don't get mistaken for a child." quipped Nuada, standing toe to toe with the auburn haired boy.

Denny's blush increased at their closeness. "Well, at least I'm attractive!" he murmured.

Nuada raised a brow, "And I'm not?" He somehow had begun to enjoy their little teasing game.

"Not particularly.", drawled a voice from the shadows.

Both human and elf turned toward the sound and jumped apart. Standing by the now open door was a lanky figure clothed in a charcoal three piece suit and a straw fedora. Dark red lips curled up in amusement at the men's reactions and showed off the yellowed teeth beneath.

"Sorry, I couldn't resist ruining such a tender moment!" said the being as it lit the end of a long black cigarette. Denny was the first to speak.

"Dammit, Scratch, can't you knock? What if I'd been naked?" he admonished. The demon smirked and raised a brow.

"I'd have taken pictures." Denny's face went flat and grabbed the well-dressed being's arm, forcing him towards the door.

"I will smack you for that comment later. Right now, I'm tired and want some sleep. So, get your sorry skinny ass out of my room!" And with that Denny promptly pushed the man out and locked the door behind him. "God damn, I hate that demon!" he groaned as he flopped onto his bed.

Nuada smiled, "Goodnight Denny." The prince rolled over and closed his eyes, half listening to the way his human friend cursed the demon. I'll have to deal with that blasted thing one day, he thought to himself as his head grew heavy. He sighed and tried to tell himself that in that last moment before Scratch had interupted... he hadn't been looking at Denny's lips.

All Denny could think was, "Damn! I am SO glad I found a better dream dealer. It's getting to be impossible to be nice to that moron."

Ah, Scratch... you friggan' perv. Wait... WHERE AM I GOING WITH THIS? O_o


End file.
